Cubs notebook: Felix Pie staying in Chicago

So will the Cubs make a deal? If they do, it probably wouldn’t be a big one, in the wake of their having acquired catcher Jason Kendall two weeks ago.

Jeff Vorva

There are two young players Cubs general manager Jim Hendry won’t trade today.

One is his 9-year-old son, John, a Little League All-Star who was on the field with his father at Wrigley Field late Monday afternoon.

“John is not going anywhere,” the elder Hendry said with mock emphasis.

Hendry was even more emphatic in denying broadcast and Internet rumors claiming the Cubs were shopping prized center field prospect Felix Pie in advance of today’s 3 p.m. non-waiver trading deadline.

“Felix Pie is not going anywhere,” Hendry said of the 22-year-old, who hit just .216 in two stints with the parent club earlier this year. “It’s unfair to the young man to hear about that he’s being shopped around. It couldn’t be further from the truth. That’s not good journalism. It’s just wrong. There is not one club that we talked to in any deal about Felix.”

Hendry wouldn’t discuss specifics about any ongoing talks with teams.

Reports that the Cubs were interested in Baltimore outfielder Jay Payton popped up and were just as quickly shot down. Numerous reports had the Cubs looking at just about every Texas Rangers player other than Sammy Sosa, even though a Cubs insider said the North Siders had no talks with the Rangers.

So will the Cubs make a deal today? If they do, it probably wouldn’t be a big one, in the wake of their having acquired catcher Jason Kendall two weeks ago.

“Let’s not make a trade to make a trade,” manager Lou Piniella said. “We’re comfortable with what we have. Every team in baseball that’s in contention is looking to improve somehow. But I think it’s more curiosity to see what’s out there than substance at times.”

Hendry said anything could happen on deadline day. Three years ago today, he pulled the trigger on a four-team deal that brought Nomar Garciaparra to town. That morning, he woke up not expecting anything like that to happen.

“Some of the best deals we ever made - and some of the smaller deals we made after the deadline - weren’t even on the radar screen the night before,” Hendry said. “But things could change. We’ll keep plugging and see if anything makes sense.”

Hendry and Piniella also said getting Kerry Wood (shoulder injury) back later this week would be like trading for a quality relief pitcher. Wood is to make a rehab appearance for Double-A Tennessee tonight, and if all goes well, he could be on the roster later this week.

Sox-cessful Phillies

Philadelphia came to town with two members of the 2005 World Series champion White Sox on its active roster - center fielder Aaron Rowand and second baseman Tadahito Iguchi. (Another ex-Sox, pitcher Freddy Garcia, is on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain.)

The Sox traded Iguchi to the Phillies on Friday, and he went 3-for-7 with two runs and an RBI in his first two games.

“I feel real privileged to be able to play with all the great players here,” Iguchi said. “Yes, it’s an interesting part of my career right now. I have my home here, my family here. ... It’s not strange at all (to be back in Chicago). As for being here at Wrigley, wow, this is the same feeling I had with the White Sox.”

Rowand entered Monday’s game hitting .317 with 14 homers and 57 RBI. He joined the Phillies in 2006 and has been showing Iguchi the ropes.

“He’s only been here for a couple of days,” Rowand said. “I’m trying to get him acclimated to the situation, to the clubhouse, to the guys, show him around a little bit. I’m sure I can relate to what he is going through now.”

Aches and pains

Catcher Henry Blanco (herniated disc in his neck) might still be a few weeks away from returning. Although he’s been playing on a rehab assignment with Class A Peoria for a week, the Cubs are taking things slowly.

First baseman/outfielder Daryle Ward (strained right calf) has been sent to Arizona for rehab work and could be out for another month.